Leaving his mark: Salvestrini's impact went beyond sports

Published 11:32 pm, Monday, August 31, 2009

Former Danbury High girls track coach Kevin Wilcox remembers the day the new Danbury High Stadium was finally complete.

He also remembers that when it came time to use, the Hatters couldn't.

"We didn't have any equipment," Wilcox said. "No mats, no hurdles, nothing. We had this great new place and now we couldn't host a meet."

That's where Chip Salvestrini, just months into his job as Danbury's new athletic director, stepped in.

"Chip got us everything we needed," said Wilcox, who stepped down last year after nearly 20 years coaching the Hatters. "I don't know where it came from and maybe I don't want to. All I know is he made it happen."

Related Stories

And Salvestrini, who resigned his post at Danbury Tuesday to take the same position at White Plains (N.Y.), was merely getting started.

Whether it was scheduling a game, renting a bus or calming a concerned parent Salvestrini always had his coaches' back.

"You never had to worry about anything," said Danbury baseball coach Shaun Ratchford, who has coached the Hatters for 25 seasons. "He took care of everything else and let a coach, coach."

That fact -- along with having the largest abundance of talent in the state -- has made the Danbury High coaches objects of envy among their peers.

Unfortunately for those Hatter haters, few positions opened up at Danbury.

And once again, Salvestrini was the reason why.

"He made coaches want to be there," said Danbury boys basketball coach Tom Pardalis, who just finished his 13th year with the Hatters. "(Coaches) don't do this for the money. We do it because we love the game and Chip allowed you to build a program in your image."

It's more than worked for the players, the coaches and the community.

In Salvestrini's eight-year tenure Danbury brought home over 20 states championships, nine of which can be attributed to wrestling coach Rick Shook and boys track and cross country coach Rob Murray, respectively.

"Chip was very consistent in his approach to all the programs," Murray said. "He supported everyone equally, which can't be understated."

"He had a very basic approach," Murray said. "We wanted to do a small number of things, but wanted them all done perfectly."

But Salvestrini didn't just preach, he practiced, too.

The Ridgefield High graduate arrived at Danbury every morning at 6 a.m., beating all of his coaches to the office.

"He and Rick Davis (former Danbury football coach) always beat me there," Wilcox said. "If I got there at 6, he'd be there at 5:45."

It was Salvestrini's work ethic and professionalism that gained him instant respect.

He also brought together a segmented athletic department.

"All the coaches didn't necessarily have to be friends," Pardalis said. "But he demanded everyone respect everyone. I think that was the beginning of creating an incredibly supportive environment for us and the kids."

That was evident this month as the entire athletic department turned out to support girls basketball coach Jackie DiNardo after her husband Bobby lost his battle with cancer.

"Chip showed it was the people that were important," Pardalis said. "He was your boss, but you knew he cared about you as a person."

And Pardalis, who served as the athletic director at New Fairfield for two-plus years, admittedly stole from Salvestrini.

"I took a lot of what I did from Chip," Pardalis said. "He taught me a lot and really helped me along. He was so organized and incredibly professional."

And Pardalis is hardly alone.

Salvestrini motivated Murray, helped him complete his teaching certification and eventually land a job in Danbury's physical education department.

"He really did so much for me," Murray said. "It goes beyond sports."

Wilcox certainly feels the same way.

The former Danbury girls coach remembers being livid after a rough day of practice.

Salvestrini, as usual, had the answer for his coach.

"He told me to just go home and hug my kids and my wife and everything would be better," Wilcox said. "I did it and he was right. I felt better immediately."